Golf
A classic card game where the objective — like the sport — is to earn the lowest score over nine holes (deals).
Players
2–4 players (best with 2–4).
Deck
A custom 52-card Golf deck:
Objective
Have the lowest total score after nine holes.
Setup
1.
Gather the whole deck — the stock, the discard pile and every grid — and shuffle it. Every hole is dealt from all 52 cards.
2.
Deal six cards face down to each player.
3.
Each player arranges their cards in a 2×3 grid (two rows of three). Do not look at them yet.
4.
Place the remaining cards face down as the stock. Turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
Starting the Hole
Before the first turn, every player turns exactly two of their six cards face up. Choose freely which two to reveal. Those cards stay face up for the rest of the hole.
Turn Structure
Play starts with the player to the dealer’s left and continues clockwise. Player 1 deals the first hole of the first game and Player 2 the first hole of the next, rotating to the next seat each game with more players; within a game the deal passes clockwise each hole.
On your turn, draw one card from either:
•
The top of the stock (face down), or
•
The top of the discard pile (face up)
If you draw from the discard
You must replace one of the six cards in your grid (face up or face down). Place the new card face up in that position and put the replaced card face up on the discard pile. Your turn ends.
If you draw from the stock
Look at the card privately, then choose:
1.
Keep it — Replace one grid card as above (new card face up; replaced card onto the discard).
2.
Discard it — Put it on the discard pile. You must then turn over one of your remaining face-down grid cards.
Matching Columns
If both cards in a vertical column are the exact same type (for example two 5-Irons, or two Sand Traps), that column scores 0, even if one or both were face down until the end of the hole.
Sand Trap and Water Hazard are different types — they do not cancel each other even though both are worth 10.
Ending the Hole
The hole continues until one player has all six cards face up. Every other player then gets one final turn. After that, all remaining face-down cards are turned up and scores are recorded.
When the stock runs out
The stock is played through once per hole and is never rebuilt from the discard pile. The turn in which the last stock card is drawn is the hole's last: the player who drew it keeps or discards it as usual, and once that turn is over the hole ends — even if some players have not yet taken a final turn owed after someone turned all six cards up. All remaining face-down cards are turned up and the hole is scored exactly as above.
Scoring
Add the points of all six cards, except:
•
Matching vertical pairs score 0 for that column
•
Hole-in-Ones subtract 2 each (unless cancelled in a matching column)
Example
•
Column 2: matching 7-Irons = 0
Winning
After nine holes, the player with the lowest total on the scorecard wins. Players tied on the lowest total share the win.